The Glory and Fall of Empires/Romania

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The famousest empire - Romania was the fifth part of a series The Glory and Fall of Empires written by Hungarian citizen Quicksilver.

Part V. The famousest empire - Romania

famousest - Alice in Wonderland, not familiar? :-P

An empire that we all know about... an empire that made the greatest waves on erep both attaining that status and in its fall; an empire that was both ruthless and compassionate, pragmatic and prideful, nationalistic and liberal.... I could heap the adjectives for a long time still, and they would all be in some ways fitting. The origin of the very game we play, the masters of it and for a long time beneficiaries too - like it or not, eRomania has characterized and dominated our New World for most of its existence. But as no power lasts forever, so theirs also came to an end once...

eRomania started out in the game differently from the early empires, in a way, that there was no baby-boom, just a simple, natural growth of citizens recruited from numerous places, and not much international role in the early months either. The country was turned inwards, building its economical and political systems, many of the old players whom we know now as great tanks or politicians starting out their careers then - and continuing, for it must be noted that the country has the most old beta players who still play.

The first steps on a long road...

Romania and Moldavia has a common history IRL too, and here, on erep, when the war module was introduced it gave an opportunity to the presidents, Pan Halippa and Titu Maiorescu to make that union come true - and after a referendum in both countries, they formed a (rather one-sided) union under the name of Great Romania. The war which took place in mid-April, lasted only a few days and caused no surprises. It was similar to the next month's Ukrainian war, although that was not an agreed union, but the few Ukrainians - who were actually Americans mainly - could not put up much opposition. The time was also the birth of the indubitably famousest elite army units, that since many countries come to respect - the FAR, or Romanian Air Force. FAR may not be the first army unit (GN is), as I am told, but as the most famous I felt it should be mentioned.

The two conquest of the neighbouring countries satisfied Romanian hunger for a while, and June-July was spent again warless - aside for the somewhat scandalous involvement in the Balkan War - only characterized by recruiting again - and a somewhat surprising move in which Romania cancelled its MPP with Hungary: not the fact itself, but for the life of me I could find no source who could tell me why there was such a contract between the two countries. :-) But the cancellation in itself signalled the worsening relations that later escalated into the first world war. Otherwise Romania spent these months with lively internal political life, as the contemporary articles show, and the famous PTO of Victor Petrescu in Ireland - never admitted as a state TO, but a Romanian nevertheless.

The end of August saw the breaking out of the First World war, by Spain attacking Mexico and Romania Hungary - Alex Craciun, the five times president declaring the war only a day after the signing of the newly formed PEACE alliance charter, before the MPP-s could be activated in either country. The Romanian attack was justified by liberating Slovakia which was conquered in the Hungary-Czech Rebublik war in June - and some flaming in each others' media which has a rich history between the two countries. After some battles won and lost on boths sides the stronger side turned to winning, and by 4th September, Romania annexed the former Slovakian regions, and 5 of the 7 Hungarian ones. The war modul's accumulating bugs caused admins then to stop it until the inroduction of v.1 - in mid october.

September mainly characterised by the increased presence of Hungarian newpapers in the Romanian media, and from this, increased tensions between Hungarians living in occupied regions and Romanians. The era also saw the birth of eRMDP-PDMeR, and with it the first Hungarian steps in Romanian politics. The restart of the war-modul brought one more region to Romania, another Hungarian one in November - Southern Transdanubia. All the way till January 2009, the peace-negotiations went on with Hungary with various terms, as the two leadership changed, and the circumstances too - the blocking ability of Hungary becoming more and more valuable, as Romania started to look for the former Russian regions. In one such block Hungary retakes Central Transdanubia, as Romania retreats to be able to fight in the Russian front.

In January, Romania makes a secret pact with Norway, partly to save them from the Russian-Iranian PTO, and when it is not successful, to take over the resource-rich Siberian regions from the decling Norway. After RW-in Moscow and the failed RW of the Northern region, which is necessary to make way to WSR, Romania first declares war to Russia, but when it gaines strong PEACE MPP-s, they decide to use PTO to gain the regions. With a last-minute entry of lic_ptg, an apparent fake to the presidential race, and the army voting him into the office, in one day, before he could be impeached, he retreats from all Russian regions, ceding them to Romania. With this move Romania gains the most valuable region on erep, and puts it to good use, strenghtening the economy and preparing for the next big war in Asia.

On the 2nd February dsalageanu declares war to Iran - the long-awaited clash of titans however is brought to a halt before it could really begin by the newly discovered chatterbox / morisca between Iran Indonesia and Pakistan. The forced stop in the operation once again brings forth the Hungarian relations, and the only agreed training war between the two nations. In march, after the only ever attempted PTO in Romania (in which Smile64 was second because Hungary decided to switch voters to Ukrain) dsalageanu decides to declare war to Indonesia. But the never closed Hungarian front caused the blocking continuing, and finally Indo manouvered to attack WSR and take it; also Northern region, and RW-s the latter to Russia so Romania cannot counterattack.

The first of the many later WSR battles was particularly memorable because Romania's army was ordered to fight in the blocking SGP battle, not letting it go over to Hungary, and so consequently WSR and Northern was lost. Romania answer to the annoying block by Hungary is an RW in Subcarpathia (Ukrain) to use it as puppet state in the war against Hungary - the chatterbox strategy adapted. The plan backfires, as in the great presidential race on the 5th March Hungary manages to get the presidency of Ukrain (Imre Norbert). Later in March Southern Great Plain and Southern Transdanubia returns to Hungary after 7 months of occupation - Romania not making again the mistake of defending a blocking battle, as Norway gives Urals to Romania so it can attack and conquer WSR. The regions Moscow, Central Russia, Volga-Vyatka returned to Norway.

Days later Norway gives Eastern Siberia to Romania, and it promptly attacks Inner Mongolia, Iran - the great war begins. Iran RWs few regions to stop their advance, but border anomalies allow Romania to proceed, moving southwards into China, with the help of PTO-ed Pakistan, to avoid attacking Xinjiang which is by this time fortified by Indonesia. After conquering most of China, or rather Pakistan, continuing towards former Indian regions - the goal is Karnataka, the Indo high iron region, at the time the only high iron held by PEACE beside Brazil's. Romania occupies over 40 regions then, the largest extent of the empire.

(I made this map absolutely from memory, so it is for sure not correct - just an approximation of what Romania encompassed then)

Karnataka is defended by another of the border anomalies, forcing Romania to go around the whole Indian subcontinent, conquering the Indo regions, and when it is near Indonesia RW-s the last region before it, and the only one that borders it: Tamil-Nadu, ceding it to India again. As romanian declaration of war would have cost much Romania made a contract with India, so it would attack Romania in exchange for regions later and a Q5 hospital. India did it but the 24 hour delay was enough for Hungary on the other front to solve the problem of blocking and Indonesia could attack Romania, thereby gaining the initiative and turning the tide of war. I should mention that even though the contract was never fulfilled, Romania did provide India with the promised Q5 hospital.

On this other front, the end of March saw further blocking battles from Hungary to NGP and NH regions, as Indonesia advances northward in the lately conquered Indian and Chinese regions. Later Romania gives Volhynia (Ukrain) to Poland and thereby involves it in the Hungarian-Romanian affair. March is closed by the top secret PEACE-Atlantis meeting, aptly penned by Moonlightshadow. In April Romania and Poland swaps Northern Hungary a few times so Hungary cannot retake it, and Ukraine starts to block Romania in Galicia. In April 5th Hungary attacks Poland and takes NH. and continues with Various blocking battles towards Romanian held regions. WSR changes hands once more when Romania swaps it with Norway and Norway also cedes several former Russian regions to Finland, literally minutes before the Hungarian presidential PTO in Norway.

In April Russia joins into the war by attacking Volga-Vyatka. In the meanwhile successive RW-s in former Ukrainian regions to draw Romanian damage from the Asian fronts and also numerous RW-s in various Indonesian regions. In April 10th Hungary finally conquers Central Hungary, and by this ceases to be able to block Romania, which can focus on the Asian front. Iran also attacks Belochistan to block Romania. Romania then gives some Ukrainian regions to Poland to block Hungary's way to non-original Romanian regions but Hungary conquers them as the chatterbox was taken out of the game. Ukrain attacks Maramures, thereby activating Romanian MPP-s - a highly risky blocking manouver, but necessary at the time.

In the end of April Indonesia, Russia, China and Iran continue attacking Romania, mixed by some strategic retreats and counterattacks from Romania and Pakistan and uncountable RW-s in all participating countries - Han Solo, the president of Pakistan apparently is not tied to his country, because of a bug and can start RW-s which are his particular habit, in Indonesia too. :-) On April 30th South-Africa enters the war by attacking Indonesia - which it later regrets deeply. In May Hungary is again able to block Romania in the Ukrainian regions, having taken Volhynia from Poland, and conquers them one by one. The main goal of this front is unsaid, but obviously Podolia, Romania's key region, as a great part of their iron and weapons industry is located there. In this part of the war Indonesia retakes former chinese regions like a knife cutting through warm water - sometimes absolving three regions a day..

May 13. the great day. The battle for Podolia starts, and half a day later the battle for WSR - also the highest number of RW-s started in one day: 11 in all participating countries. Spain also attacks Portugal, activating their MPPs, and on the 14th, USA attacks Russia's Far-Eastern region, also activating their MPPs, that are so important factors in our wars nowadays. But back then it was all to draw firepower from the main battle, the long-awaited battle for the much contested region, the richest on eRepublik: WSR. The battle, which saw almost the complete armies of PEACE and Atlantis; in which Indonesia is punished because of a weapon-bug by adding 200 k to the almost brought-down wall; and which caused Romania to enter into the non-combat mode, becuse they demanded a more through investigation and more punishment; in which PEACE almost gives up fighting seeing the punishment that many think unjust, but deciding later to still fight and finally - win.

May 15th Indonesia finally conquers WSR from Romania, while at the same time as Hungary conquers Podolia - the grand (and highly controversial) finale of the war and the end of the Romanian Empire. The war does not end here of course, but in effect it does: Romania's declaration of non-combat, the leaving and banning of a great number of players breaks the resolve and backbone of the Romanian Empire. The rest of the war can be called only as a mop-up of the regions; Hungary is trying to secure/buffer Podolia with Ukrainian regions, but as Moldavia remains in Romanian hands it is not successful, and Hungary decides to give Podolia back to Ukrain, and instead lease Urals's high iron with agreement by GLaDOS, Russia's president at the time. For this some Russian regions are swapped between Ukraine, Russia and Hungary, so Hungary at the end can attack Romania in Urals and take the region.

After the so famous and sometimes hotly debated non-combat mode, Romania is back to its original regions, after having at a time almost 50 of them, thereby creating the greatest empire on eRepublik; encircled by countries in their own regions and Ukraine defended by MPPs and Hungary's strategically held region, Dnipro, and deprived of its former high resources regions and most of its economy and losing many of the older and newer players. Romania still tries to retake Podolia later, accumulation huge debts in the process, but the growing Hungarian army by this time is capable of beating back these attacks, and defend Ukraine.

Ever since Romania is trying to reorganize itself, the military, the economy and the players' attitudes and regroup; by utilizing their admittedly famous diplomacy, and the old weapon, the PTO. The many Romanian players stranded in Indonesian regions and the return of Victor Petrescu gives birth to a daring idea: PTO-ing the most populous country on erep: Indonesia. The Operation Matzanesia is almost a success; in the congress elections only one vote is separating Indos and romanians - and with some bans, the situation is taut. Later Romania again turns to diplomacy and PTO: taking Ukraine as a forced ally and putting back Moldova onto the map the theater of operations there again can be opened.

Romania consequently, however fallen as an empire, is coming back; they learned from their mistakes, like cooperating with allies, and created again the famous army units, repaid the loans and strenghtened the economy - and only waiting to make a comeback.